Slaven Bilic challenges West Ham's Andy Carroll to maintain fitness
Saturday 2 January 2016 18:56, UK
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has challenged Andy Carroll to maintain his fitness following his goal in West Ham's 2-0 win over Liverpool.
The Hammers are in sixth in the Premier League, and have now gone seven games unbeaten under Bilic as Carroll's header added to Michail Antonio's first-half opener at Upton Park.
Carroll was making only his sixth Premier League start of the season, and his manager insists the striker would be stupid not to keep up his training regime.
"I thought he was brilliant," said Bilic. "Not just because of his goal but his performance; defending, holding the ball up, pressing their defenders, everything.
"Liverpool is always a 'target' team, especially now with Jurgen Klopp as their manager, and to create chances and keep a clean sheet is a great way to start the new year for West Ham.
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"Now he looks fit to me. We have been talking a lot about him: Andy this, Andy that, Andy England, but now he is fit and it is all down to him now.
"Is he going to look after himself, work hard, train, rest, to maintain his position or to even make it better? And then, and only then, he will become a great asset for us, and it is up to him.
"I expect him to stick to what he was like recently, he would be very, very stupid to do otherwise."
The Hammers are eyeing a European spot as they prepare to leave Upton Park and move into the Olympic Stadium for the 2016/17 season, sitting just three points off fourth as the Premier League passes the halfway stage.
And Bilic admits the club's ambitions are moving towards Europe, but suggested West Ham's early departure from this season's Europa League in early August may have been a benefit to the team.
Asked about his European ambitions, he said: "It's definitely moving that way.
"We're disappointed how we played in the Europa League earlier in the season - but looking back maybe it was a good thing. We've got high ambitions."
